If the kitchen is the most important room in the house (according to the mistress of the house), the table - this is a subject which revolves around everything that happens in the kitchen.It turns out that the kitchen table - is the most important furniture (again according to the hostess).Of course, man can not but agree with his half, but what he will do yourself a sandwich?His main thing - the TV - can temporarily yield the palm.
What separates the kitchen table from all other tables?That's right, it cook.The process, which is not very hygienic (when viewed from the side), should be safe for our health (that is, to ensure minimal possibility of contamination of products, of which in the future will turn out goodies).Therefore, the table should be made of a material which for many years is so well cleaned of all kinds of pollution, that about it can be safe to say "sterile clean."
material from which the worktop for the kitchen table, has to be non-toxic, hypoallergenic, durable and, of course, beautiful.These conditions do not meet many natural and man-made materials, so you should get to know every detail.
countertop laminate
polymer laminate
Budget material for kitchen furniture - laminate - is made of pressed wood chipboard covered with a sheet or film polymer.A thin film that mimics the texture of natural wood pattern, made from safe, non-toxic plastics.3-D photographic printing and textured surfaces create the effect of touching the natural wood or stone.A variety of designs for all naturally occurring materials allows any buyer to find material for kitchen furniture and countertops.
Natural enemies laminated surface - sharp objects and hot dishes.In order to avoid contact with heat or solid steel table knives, enough to use cutting boards and coasters.In the event of damage to the surface integrity of the cover will be broken, molded array penetrate the water and bacteria.If steps are not taken to repair and disinfection, bacteria break down the material under the film.Manufacturers laminate countertops ensure that the table will last at least 5 years from the start of operation with good care.To maintain the purity of the surface can be cleaned with a soft sponge or cloth soaked in soapy water.
cost of laminate countertops depends on the thickness of the particle board and the quality and coverage is from 600 to 2500 rubles per 1 sq.m.the surface of a standard sheet.
Laminate Natural wood
more expensive type of laminate consists of a particleboard base coated veneer of wood.The use of natural veneer of valuable tree species creates the effect of a natural file.The surface of the "walnut", "ebony" or "stained oak" can be covered with veneer wood of these species.But no less impressive looks painted veneer.The thicker the layer of veneer, the more natural looking surface.
for laminate veneer made in two ways.The first, less expensive way - shelling.With endless spiral timber is removed a thin layer of wood, which is treated: rectified, treated with chemical disinfection, cut into sheets and dried.Very sharp cutter removes a layer without damaging any surface of a millimeter.Texture pattern of the laminate is not quite like a natural, but it is very beautiful, if you were in the wood of the trunk twists.
Sliced veneer, in fact, - a thin plank of wood.Its production is quite expensive, but countertops look like collected from a single array.Especially it looks original surface, decorated with inlaid veneer of different colors and types of wood.
Adhesives used for bonding of the base material and veneer table tops are made of non-toxic polymers or, in special cases, of natural components (bone carpenter's glue, fish glue).The polished surface is covered with transparent varnish or natural polish.Such a surface harder to damage than a plastic film, but to repair - also require more effort.Still, the beauty demands ...
Prices laminate coated wood veneer depend on many factors (type and thickness of the veneer, type of wood, type of polishing, the type of adhesive) and can be from 2 500 to 10 000 rubles per 1 sq.m..m.surface.
"Deck butcher" (Butcher block)
Natural wood comes first to mind when you ask yourself (or someone) "What is the furniture?"The answer is natural, but a trick.By the standard of the ordinary kitchen table furniture is not applicable.Terms of "beautiful," "hypoallergenic", "non-toxic" are met, but what about "durable" it is necessary to think twice."Trees strife," - says a competent carpenter-furniture and will be right as not argue with him.
Countertops Butcher block going from a dense and beautiful wood.Transverse bars saw cut, glued together under pressure and carefully polished, constitute a single monolith - a block that looks like a chessboard.The thicker the block, the countertop looks spectacular.The name was in honor of countertop huge decks on which butchers meat butchered with an ax with a wide blade.Viscous tree does not harm the steel blade, but it was impossible to cut the deck.They say that the butcher used a deck of a lifetime and passed her successor with an ax.
course, on the table should not be an ax to chop the meat (this could damage the smooth surface), but this operation broke down and she would not crumble.
Tabletop collected from cross-Spili, is two to three times more expensive than the less durable but equally spectacular assemblage of long horizontal bars.Originality can add processing edge countertops figure edged or metal edging bronze or brass corner.Buffet styled medieval or "like a fairy tale" can transform a kitchen in the most unusual place in the house.
Care wooden top will require some effort.The tree can be fruitful ground for bacteria if not processed antibacterial compounds.Therefore, we recommend regular treatment with detergents, which has the mark "against all bacteria."If the surface is not only polished, and coated with polishes, they must be composed of natural components (beeswax, for example).
Prices for countertops made of natural wood can start at $ 250 and go up to $ 700-800 for an exclusive and vintage items (for 1 sq. Meter of surface).
Countertops made of artificial stone
Building technologies endowed designers materials invaluable beauty - artificial concrete and stones from a mixture of resins and heavy-duty natural crystalline rocks (quartz, granite, marble).
Artificial granite
Natural stone is not easily treated.To make a full slab of granite, you need to find a block - a monolith without a single crack.Then cut it into slabs that block size on machines with large diameter diamond saws.The process is not only time consuming but also extremely expensive.Natural slab of granite will cost an astronomical sum even in the euro.Production of artificial stone, ceramic granite in particular, costs five to ten times cheaper, and the resulting material is almost as natural granite neither strength nor beauty.In the second, even superior, as the services of a variety of designers synthetic dyes.Mixed with granite chips and quartz sand dyes create not only evenly colored "stone", but also, if desired, intricate abstract patterns like marble "moire".The monolith created no cracks, no stress and ductility of polyester ties can effectively resist the hard-hitting (though to beat the countertop is still not recommended).
Technology of "granite" includes blending components quickly fill in forms, vibrating in a vacuum (where the air is completely removed from the mixture) and heat treatment - hardening at + 1200-1300 and fast ostuzhennoy.
Artificial granite is cut and polished on machine tools with diamond cutting saws and heavy-duty abrasive.The surface can be polished to a mirror finish or matte.If necessary, you can save the "wild" coarse roughness, on which there is no gliding or millimeters.Solid crystals of natural granite blunt steel blade, so the recommendation is to buy quality cutting boards is present directly in the operating instructions.
Care easiest surface: can be cleaned with a rough cloth and clean the surface of the table top with a wire brush (if required by the situation).Household chemicals can harm artificial granite.
prices countertops artificial granite start at $ 30 - 40 per 1 sq.foot surface and will depend on the complexity of installation on site.
artificial quartz
mixture of quartz and polyester resin, coupled with high pressure and temperature, strength is not inferior to natural materials.Actually, artificial quartz at 93-96% natural and binder holds the remaining volume.Artificial quartz is made of small crystals of natural quartz and pure quartz sand washed.
For variety, depending on the artistic intent, in the base mixture of the crushed quartz is replaced by granite and marble.Especially exotic look on the surface of the quartz countertop glass inclusions, like a drop of water, buried in the surface of the stone.Metal shavings, polishing turns into a golden spark creates more glamorous effect.
The resulting mixture is a rather complex process is poured into molds, vibrated in a vacuum to remove the air from the space between the crystals and heat treated.Rapid heating up + 1100-1300 with instant ostuzhennoy material hardens.After the heat treatment of the resulting sheet "stone" - slab ("slab" of English. "Plate") is supplied to processing: sawing and polishing.For the treatment of artificial quartz used tool with diamond-tipped circular saws on and polishing discs.The result is a slab of a given size and surface smoothness of which depends on the ideas of the designer.
worktop "Quartz" cut from standard plates for each table individually.It uses a portable tool, cutting the details of which are diamond-coated in the same class as the instrument manufacturers slab.Processing edges, sanding and gluing surfaces polyester adhesives should be performed at the highest level of quality.Glued pressure surface bends, corners and edges do not have to give strength to the monolith.As a result, labor-intensive operations will decorate the kitchen table, which can damage the surface only a very strong blow hammer.Cutting table knife is useless - harder than quartz hardened steel.A look at the surface of the stone will never get bored.
cost of manufacturing the artificial stone is high enough, and fit countertop in place will require additional funding.As a result, the starting price of $ 50-60 per square meter.ft of surface will grow one and a half to two times.
There are not too many producers of artificial quartz, which boast universal acceptance in the world of furniture design.For example, Silestone from Spain, whose tabletops recognized standard for quality.
overview does not show a hundredth of design options countertops for kitchen countertops, bar counters and other surfaces that require protection.But I hope that the article will help you a certain idea about this diversity.
